He Is Inevitable
by DrunkGanondorf
Summary: A Gerudo Voe has been kept at a remote farm in southern Hyrule for his entire life. He's been told that he'd be hunted and coveted by the clans and beasts of the land as a rare trophy. In spite of his uneasiness, he's tired of the isolation. The winds of the wilds call to him and he's finally ready to answer.
1. Chapter 1: Seeing Ghosts

Through way of open window, the succulent breeze of central Hyrule teased restless muscles with the promise of a fresh, sunbathed day. He, however, could not reap the rewards of said promise as he was rooted firmly to a wooden chair set center within the cottage. Diligent hands looked to tangle themselves in tufts of deep crimson alongside metal blades. Around his feet were scattered piles of of the same hue, piles he scowled at. "Mom's going to be mad," he commented wryly. The sentence earned him a stiff smack to the right temple.

"Oh, she'll be mad alright but not at me. I wouldn't have to do this if you hadn't gotten Chuchu jelly stuck in your hair!" She accented the last word by tugging at another tuft at the base of his neck. The youngest of his three elder sisters, Rasa, was no less brassy than the rest and made it entirely aware that, in spite of his size, her brother was far from a threat to her. He attempted to rub the spot she'd assailed, but she smacked the metal rings of the scissors against his knuckles.

"She'll be plenty mad at you if she sees all the bruises you're giving me." He pressed the aching flesh of his fingers to his lips with a hiss.

"I think she'll approve of them, actually." After a few more sharp snips accented by intentionally-painful tugs and twists, Rasa backed away to assess her handiwork. The hair was drastically shorter than when she'd started, a regrettable casualty though necessary for the sheer amount of viscid slime caked into the Gerudo voe's head. "You girls can come see now," she called. One of the bedroom doors, cast from iron fittings and redwood, chirred open. Two Gerudo Vai stumbled out of the room with hands covering their eyes and nervous smiles fused to their expressions. Levif and Gagati were nearly indistinguishable from one another and it took careful scrutiny of the two of them side-by-side to find the subtle tells. Recently Levif had made it easier as she started painting her nails green to match her eyes whereas Gagati adored teal unrelentingly. Rasa rolled her eyes at the two of them and tossed the scissors onto the dining table. "Go ahead and look. Rip off the tape." In near unison, the older girls removed the heavily-jeweled hands from their matching eyes and gasped in a similar rhythm. One of the sounds was genuinely surprised while the other sounded entirely horrified.

"It's so short!" Gagati croaked dejectedly. "We can't braid that! Rasa, you took too much off!"

Rasa crossed her arms assuredly. "I took off as much as I had to. Blame **him** for getting into that mess." Levif, on the other hand, squealed and took her brother by the shoulders to better take in the sight.

"Both of you can stuff it! I love it! He looks rugged and manly."

Gagati stamped her foot at her sister. "He looked rugged and manly with the **long** hair, too!" Rasa shooed them both a few steps back, still scowling.

"It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. It's already done. He's stuck like this for a **while**."

He took his chance and got to his feet, taking some steps away from the three of them and making sure to be out of grabbing-range of Rasa's vice-like hands. "Thank you all for your feedback and support, but I'm going to head out." He managed to slipped out of the way of a swipe by Rasa who dove over the chair towards his belt. His hand found the iron handle of the front door and levied his back to the wooden surface as a support to help him shove the angry vai backwards with the sole of his foot.

"You're. Waiting. For. **Mom**!" Rasa tried and failed multiple times to get a hold on her brother only to meet air or boot that quickly slipped back before she could find purchase. On the fifth attempt, the voe managed to twist around and slip from the door before slamming it shut and taking off down the path from the cottage. Rasa maneuvered through the doorway with a stumble and a shout down the mountain loud enough to wake the dead. "**Ganondorf**!" The voe would suffer Rasa's venom later and gladly if it meant a morning free from screaming or gawking. He wasn't keen on letting his mother catch sight of his new appearance, either. Not yet. Not when he'd yet to embrace the day's freedoms. That flavorful Hylian wind coaxed him down orchard trails that he'd not yet grown tired enough of to condemn himself from them for weeks by remaining to face the wrath of an angry, prideful vai and her daughters who took very much after her. Ganondorf followed the wind down foot trails and into a vast plane of lush grass under the azure Hyrule sky. As much as that field sang to him, he kept his feet planted in the soft soil on the hill overlooking it and out of sight. It was good enough. It had to be.

The voe sat down in a green patch atop the hill and watched as that same, alluring waft raked its fingers through the sea of emerald and ivy. Distant shapes took to both sky and land, crossing the planes brazenly and in great contrast to himself. He knew one day he'd take to the expanse with just as much courage, perhaps even crossing the bridge into Castle Town if he were allowed to fantasize so boldly. Hyrule Castle made itself the central jewel of Hyrule's crown, a very distinct shape on the horizon visible from every corner of the country if one stood in the right place. Neither the Goron nor the Rito, nor Zora nor even the Gerudo had a monument of such stature. Though small compared to the rest of the races, Hylians knew how to build durable empires. No matter the calamity that may befall the world, they seemed to have the most longevity in government and dignity. Perhaps the vast majority of benevolent rulers in its lifespan was to thank. The books he was allowed to read only spoke highly of Hylian monarchs.

Topaz eyes roamed past Hyrule Field towards the Lanayru Wetlands which he could not see directly but knew out of study lied in that general order. Nearest territory to that was the land of the Zora with the Eldin territory overlooking them. With a unconscious tip of his head, Ganondorf wondered if he could traverse all of Hyrule on mere memory alone. Not direct memory, of course, but memory of maps. If asked, he could tell one where each province lied and what the climate was like. He could recommend clothes and jewels to adorn for the kindest experience and even explain what foods were popular in those regions' cultures. He could do all of this without ever really having left the foothills he called home. He finally righted his skull and shook his head. No, he could not make his way from one end of the continent to the other as Hyrule was not one flat expanse without peril. He knew few basic fighting skills but hadn't used them for their intended purpose. He knew basic survival skills but had done little more than make a camp fire in the pasture as a young teen to pretend like he was out in the field on his own. He'd be be hopeless out there on his own and he wasn't a fool who'd deny it.

Sharp ringing akin to coins or child-bells tugged at his pointed ears and brought him to turn his head. Her expression was hesitant and her movements slow. She watched him as she took gradual steps down to the hill towards him and her blank, wide stare never faltered. When she spoke, her voice was almost broken. She sounded like she wanted to cry. "She... said it was short, but... I didn't think..." The mere strangled sound of it made his chest hurt.

"I know you liked it long. I'm sorry." She settled herself into the grass next to him, her glare reminiscent of someone seeing a spirit. A shaking yet gentle hand reached over and he did not protest to her entangling her fingers in the tufts on the back of his neck. Though her rings caught on some strands, he did not move. He simply let her roam along the span of his skull. She pulled away, her wide-eyed gawk finally giving way to disapproval.

"You know you can't be seen, especially now like this." He cocked a bushy brow at her.

"How has anything changed?"

"With long hair, you could be mistaken for a vai at a distance. Now people might suspect." She stood, brushing off her skirt with still trembling hands. "It's time to go home." With one last glance out onto the open planes before the castle, Ganondorf sighed and stood, walking back with her through the orchards to his prison.

* * *

Rasa met them at the door and a warning glare from their mother was all that stood between her rage and the voe. Even so, he winced when a hand raised in a gesture to slap him though he knew it would never make contact. "Enough playing. You all need to get to your chores," their mother, Cassiopeia, warned curtly.

"Ahem!" Gagati snapped a finger irritably, something Cassiopeia huffed at with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh right... Gagati and Levif are going to town. If you two need anything, tell them. I also need one of you to check on Efesa in Gagati's place."

"Why are they the only ones that are allowed to leave? We're all adults." Ganondorf rumbled. His mother sighed.

"We have had this discussion too many times and I am not having it again." He turned down his gaze towards his right hand as his fingers rapped idly against the stone counter top. Rasa was in that direction and shared his expression of annoyance. She was gathering some small gardening utensils from the bin by the back door. Unhurriedly, Ganondorf joined her and helped her carry the supplies out the door. Their pasture was like a bowl, cupped by mountain walls on all sides save for some natural steps that lead down to the field. On the right, there was a bucolic stable made to hold three and kept the natural shades of the utilized wood. The voe shouldered his satchel of tools and took a deliberate step towards it.

"I'll check on Efesa. Meet you down range." Rasa did not protest and continued on as Ganondorf broke from her side. He crossed the pasture to the building and heaved the sliding door aside. lantern light illuminated the usually somber hold of the old barn that had only recently been home to anything living aside from some grass that had begun to grow under the floor and walls. He told himself he'd make some new planks to fix the gaps later. From the windows of their stalls, two Gerudo mares watched him tentatively. The first was a grey, dappled mare with a cream mane long about her neck. The other was coal with mohawked ginger along her own. Ganondorf patted Ibel as he passed and stopped before Efesa's window. Her emerald eyes were always so steadily fixed on whoever dane to approach her and it gave her an imposing air. Perhaps that was why his mother had been so startled when Ganondorf lead the mare up the trail from the river. Efesa watched Cassiopeia like a mother hawk, like the vai had been watching her foal hungrily from afar. It took a while for the voe to convince Efesa that his mother was no puma after his throat and even longer for Ganondorf to convince his mother to let the horse stay. She'd been so adamantly against the thought, almost in a trance for the first couple of days, giving hypnotic "no's" at regular. One would think that the young Gerudo had led a lynel to the cottage in chains. Ganondorf held his ground, however, and Efesa took to her new home with a content grace. Not long into her stay, they realized she was pregnant.

The voe slid into her stall and ran a hand along her enlarged stomach. "Any day now?" The mare regarded him with a nicker. She was calm, her usual self. That was good. Horses, in his experience, had a sort of clairvoyance and Efesa was very open about expressing concerns when they arose in her own way. Ibel was similar but never as insistent when grabbing someone's attention. Ganondorf peeked through the bars that divided the two stalls and the other mare threw her head in a snort. Her own blue eyes looked back at him warmly. "Are you going to be a good auntie? Not bite the new baby?" Her ears twitched forward, but she gave nothing in way of a reply. "You better be nice." The voe exited the stall and left the latch open. He walked to Ibel's stall and opened her door as well. Both mares happily trotted past him and out the open door to the pasture. At a glance, Ganondorf could see that both gates were closed. That allowed him to relax. He watched for but a moment as both mares galloped joyfully about the open space, Efesa taking lead and Ibel sticking to her right side. Even while pregnant and coming into another mare's territory, the coal horse managed to claim control of the space, seemingly by sheer force of will alone. Ibel easily resigned her reign to the newcomer and didn't mind most days, which appeared to betray her own fiery nature.

As soon as the mares settled to graze, Ganondorf crossed the pasture and climbed over the gate. His leather boots met the stone steps on the other side with a heavy thud and Rasa met him at the bottom. She hadn't done much aside from the weeding on the first patch near the trail. "Took you long enough," She scolded. Ganondorf ignored her tone and reached into his satchel for a pair of gloves which he promptly donned. He crossed two patches and stopped at the far end where a garden fork was stabbed into the dirt between patches. He took it and began to fiddle with the soil around lengths of foliage in the patch. He dug around the dirt like that along the edge of the patch and then moved into it and along the clearly defined rows. The occasional glance towards the first two patches yielded annoyed glares from Rasa, hands full of green tufts with succulent beats hanging from them. She wasn't mad at him, he knew. The both of them had an understanding between them and he understood her rage entirely. The poor vai was going stir-crazy. So was he.

The beats were tossed into crates and the crates were loaded into a wooden wagon on the upper left corner of the field by the wheat. Once they were done for the day, he'd walk Ibel down there to help roll the cart to the house. There was no point keeping her there all day while they worked, especially when Ibel was very fond of many of their vegetables. Eventually, Ganondorf finished turning the dirt and stabbed the fork back where he found it. Gloved hands grabbed fist-fulls of foliage and pulled long, orange bodies easily into the light. He pulled as many hand-fulls as he could hold and then walked back to the first patch where the crates sat. He made around ten trips back and forth and finished pulling all of the ready harvest from that patch. After that, he removed a blade from his satchel and walked to the wheat patch.

* * *

"You get one. **One**." Rasa said sternly as she fed Ibel a juicy carrot from the crate. The vai rode on the seat of the wagon as her brother lead Ibel at arm's length along the outside of the horse pasture. The mare trusted the voe to lead her as she turned her head to take the alluring offering in a greedy nip. "I didn't know we owned a pig."

Ganondorf laughed. "We own two. They stay in the bedroom next to yours." Rasa returned a chuckle and tossed a ball of pulled foliage at his head.

"Be nice. You're just jealous that they get to leave and you don't."

"So are you."

The vai flopped her hands into her lap with a sigh. "If I had a place to go, I'd walk down that trail in a heartbeat. Visits home might be a little tense, but it'd be worth it. What about you, though? You're strong, you know how to fight. You walk down the trail all the time, but always come back when she tells you to. How far do you even go?"

"Just to the hill on the edge of the field. I'd have nowhere to go, either. I read about Hyrule all the time, but I know I'd be in over my head. This is all any of us have."

"Do you plan on staying here forever, then? Never taking the leap? You said it yourself this morning: we're adults. We need to spread our wings." She stretched out her arms dramatically. Her brother gave but a sigh in reply and rubbed the back of his sun-soaked neck.

"Well, I won't be flying anytime soon. Efesa's gonna have her foal any day now. If I leave, she's coming with me and I'm not gonna take a newborn foal into the wilds."

"So, does that mean when the foal is weaned, you're gonna take off?" Ganondorf cocked his head, obviously conflicted.

"I've thought about it." After a moment, he grinned. "Why don't you and I go together? I'm sure we could make it to a settlement and the two of us combined might be able to handle ourselves alright. It's a long ride, but I read that Hateno Village is a nice farming community... Or **was** depending on when that book was published. I'm sure it's worth a try."

"Definitely tempting, but I don't think I can suffer having only **you** as company." Rasa leaned over the side of the seat and shoved Ganondorf's head roughly. The voe stumbled a little, but was quick to regain his footing and snicker.

"Yet staying here with mom and the twins is the better alternative?" The vai's eyes widened and she made an overdramatic cry of woe.

"By the Goddess, you're right! I'd go mad in mere DAYS!" She flopped onto her back over the entire seat, covering her eyes with the crook of her left arm. Quickly, her eyes snapped open and she grabbed the hem of his shirt. "You can't leave me! You're the only semi-sane person in my life!" Ganondorf snorted, unable to hold louder, less dignified laughs any longer. "Don't do that! This is a crisis, young voe!"

"Make up your mind and it won't be!" Rasa rolled onto her stomach, all dramatic flair gone from her pointed stare.

"You're serious? You really mean it?"

"Of course! Out of all my siblings, I find you the least abominable." She slapped his head. "Ow! But, yes. Yes, I am serious. Mom's reasoning is ridiculous and I think we should be allowed to leave at this point."

"So... what? We just gonna get up and go one day? Sneak out? Leave a note?"

"No, of course not. We'll wake up early, pack some stuff in the cart with Efesa and we'll tell mom in person before we leave. We can at least give her that. She can't stop the both of us and you know the twins won't really do anything." They reached the front of the cottage and knowingly quieted their conversation. As they unloaded the cart at the back door, Rasa nudged the voe's shoulder.

"How long does it take for a foal to be weaned?"

"At the earliest, three months. At the latest, six. Depends on the mother."

"At least three months to plan it, then. I hope you have a good idea, Gan."

* * *

He held the plate in his hand, clay surface dangling loosely just over the water's surface in the cauldron. The cottage was quiet and dark save for the torch beside him on the back step. Clouds were coving much of the night sky, but the moon's meager light shone brightly enough to catch on the droplets atop the long, emerald grass of the horse pasture. He'd lost himself in thought, only partly done washing plates and a few tools he'd muddied earlier that day. Apart from his humored tone, Ganondorf had been entirely serious with Rasa. He wasn't dane to sit on the hill and watch the rest of the world go about without him. There was a life out there that he wasn't living... one he wanted to experience with all the freedom that evaded him in his mother's home.

His mother...

No, he didn't hate her. He adored her, in fact. Aside from some strict rules she'd put in place when Ganondorf was a small child, Cassiopeia was a wonderful vai... well, as far as **he** knew. She raised four children all on her own, all from three different men who'd either left her or died. She was strong, admirable, a role model for her daughters to mirror. Ganondorf felt... at odds with the rest, however. Cassiopeia loved him all the same, of course, but... she took to him with a different air. She was cautious, vigilant beyond comparison and found the oddest things to deny him. There was Efesa's introduction as reference, but there was also other things. He wasn't allowed to wear Topaz, for example. His sisters argued that the gem complimented his eyes so well, but Cassiopeia forbade him from keeping the jewel on his body. He was not allowed to practice with sword or spear, resigned to the bow and arrow and hand-to-hand techniques as opposed to his sisters who were taught with whatever weapon tickled their fancy. He was only allowed to read books that his mother had approved and his sisters were not to buy books for him. Only Cassiopeia could go out and get new material for him to read and said material was just more of the same simply with different authors and writing styles. For a while, he wasn't even allowed history books, but then started to get them only with entirely missing sections that were mentioned in the index. When Ganondorf came to her about it, she dismissed it and then he started to get books without indexes. Finally, there was the glaring issue of never being allowed to leave. For many years, Ganondorf believed his mother's reasoning. It was childlike trust and fear that stuck him to the ranch's plot, but as he grew and began to question little things at a time, he grew more and more bold. Him actually making it to a vantage point to see Hyrule field was a recent occurrence, within the last couple of months.

_"Hyrule has not seen a voe Gerudo in over one-hundred years. They are rare and I know you'll be hurt if you ever go out into the world. You need to stay here. To the dangerous clans and monsters of Hyrule, you would be considered a trophy." _

Ever since he was young, he had the idea in his head that he'd be a creature for sport, hunted in the wilds like a limited species... like he was exotic. As a child, the image in his mind was that his hair or skin would be taken and shown to others as a prize. As he got older, newer ideas of what a "trophy" would be came into his consciousness. If voe Gerudo were rare, then his own people might've been the most dangerous to him if his existence were made known. Those thoughts became quieter as the years wore on. Louder voices took their place, voices that screamed for freedom, for him to chase the Hylian wind through the fields and forests beyond the mountains, chase wild horses at the river's edge... Take control. Don't be afraid anymore. There were civil people in Hyrule- Towns, cities and villages of kind people. There had to be. He could live with them, find solace within their walls. He considered Castle Town most of all, in that regard. His eldest sisters told often of the security and fine guardsmen within. He wanted to go there, most of all. He wanted to see the castle, meet so many people, feel entirely at ease in the caress of sturdy towers and ramparts. If places like that existed, then he had a chance. He cared not if he'd be seen as a spectacle. He wanted more.

Of course, he wasn't the only one. No, he and all of his siblings deserved more. They deserved a chance- Rasa most of all. She was the closest to Ganondorf in age and had been entirely stuck there with him for as long as he'd been alive. They weren't inseparable as children merely out of a genuine sibling bond, but rather because they were the only ones able to be there for one another. Part of him suspected that it was kept that way so Ganondorf didn't feel excluded, but it wasn't fair regardless. The voe dropped the plate in the water and dried his hands against his cotton tunic. That day had been a strain. He and Rasa had spoken of freedom before, of course, but now the vai was expecting it fairly soon. Three months would pass in the snap of his fingers and he hadn't a clue if Cassiopeia had any backup plans in place for such an occasion. Surely she knew she couldn't stop him forever. She'd die eventually and she had to know that he'd leave. Quietly, the voe stood and skirted his way around the cottage to the main trail. She'd know he'd left soon enough, but he just needed to see it. He needed to remind himself. Ganondorf traversed the road through the orchards and weaved about trees to the slit between two hills he'd used that morning.

Just beyond that, Hyrule field was a clear sight, unmasked by the din of nightlight. He found his spot from earlier and quickly settled into the warm, slightly damp grass. He saw a few figures, far fewer than before, crossing the roads along the field and around the castle. They were illuminated by lanterns and torches, like distant fireflies. He wanted them move along. He took deep breaths. He wanted to remember the smell and the taste of the open air as vividly as possible. After so long, the air of his bowl of a home had become too familiar, almost tasting and smelling stale in comparison. He coveted the cool, fresh winds that so evaded the cottage more often than they didn't. Said wind came up from the grasses and tangled itself in his now short scruff. Without the vast length of his old style, he could feel it coil about his neck and down his back, skin still damp from his earlier bath. Momentarily, he let him self believe that it had come solely for him... only momentarily. It was the sweetest of fantasies.

When pebbles rolled from higher on the slope, Ganondorf knew he'd been caught. A sigh escaped his lips and he turned, searching for those disappointed, half-scared emerald irises lit by way of moonlight. He didn't find them. No, he froze when Topaz met sapphire. Pale skin, wheat hair and the deepest blue he'd ever seen all looked back at him and stabbed into his gut with the steep blade of fear. Those eyes watched him, considering and curious. He stared back and neither of their lips moved to say a word. Not a single part of their body twitched to make a move. This was a Hylian. He recognized the features from some of his books. Pointed ears, lean and short stature, light skin- all traits known to the people. He'd never seen one this close. He supposed a Hylian had never seen someone like him up close, either.

"Vasaaq..." He started twice on the word before it finally left his lips audibly. The sound seemed to startle the voe as he gave a jump, but he regained himself gracefully.

"Sav'saaba." He knew Gerudo language? At least part of it. If he knew more, he didn't showcase it. "Can you... speak... Hylian?" He spoke these words slowly, ears twitching forward expectantly. His blue eyes held the same vibe while also searching the Gerudo's face for some sort of tell. Ganondorf's own ears twitched and he turned more to be able to address the voe properly.

"I do. And... you speak... Gerudo? Ro Geldo?"

"Um... Not a lot. I know a few words and phrases. Vasaaq, sav'saaba, sav'orq, stuff like that... And you're... a Gerudo?" Ganondorf nodded, only then realizing that his lower jaw hung open slightly. He closed it and tried to will away the warmth in his cheeks. He must've looked daft. The Hylian took a cautious step forward, sliding some way down the rock before using his heel to dig in. He was about five feet from the larger voe at that point and... though he had a simple steel blade on his back, he didn't seem threatening. "I've... never seen a ma- uh... Voe of your race before. Not in person."

"And... I've never see anyone of **your** race in person... not this close." The smaller voe cocked a brow at him.

"How? This is Hyrule, my people's kingdom. We're everywhere."

"Ive never left the farm. I've started coming down here recently, but I've never gone farther. None of yours come up this far... save for you, that is. I... should probably go home. My mother has to be wondering where I am." Ganondorf stood and skirted around the smaller voe, who watched him with question still clean on his face. The Hylian didn't seem at all on edge, a stark contrast to the Gerudo who towered over him. It was silly, he though. He was so much larger and presumably stronger yet he was the one scared and keeping at least a blade's length between them.

"Farm? Up there? Is that what I saw when I was climbing over?" He pointed directly at the bowl above and the larger voe knew it was foolish to deny it if he had, in fact, seen it already. Ganondorf nodded. "Why have you never left?"

"My mother thinks it's safer for me there."

"And people don't visit? At all?"

"Not often. My mother usually watches the trail and turns travelers away before they get close. I really need to head back."

"Waitwait, hold on. Who are you? We've... sort of just skipped around formalities and I'd hate if your first real interaction with one of us was this... stiff." Ganondorf opened his mouth to reply, but stopped. His mother's voice rang in his head.

_"Never tell a stranger your name. A name is a deadly tool for a powerful mage." He recalled sitting before the vai as a child, watching her weave a line of pink aura between skillful fingers. "Those with ill-intent in their hearts could use your name as a link to your soul... and if an evil power grabs your soul... It could mean disaster." The pink aura shot to his chest, vanishing beyond the flesh and leaving a tingling trail through one side of him and out of the other. All of a sudden, there was a sickening weight in his chest, one totally uncontrollable. Sobs ripped from him almost instantly and without pretense. Almost as soon as the sorrow arrived, it vanished, leaving the young voe confused and... a little frightened. Cassiopeia placed a soothing hand on his cheek, smoothing damp lines from his eyes. "Never toy with magic, my efesa..."_

He watched the Hylian tilt his head. He couldn't say another word. Ganondorf quickly scrambled up to the slit and over the hills onto the orchard trail. He took to the dirt path almost in a panic, like a beast was at his heels. He gave no thought to discretion and only prayed that the voe didn't follow him. There was no reason for him to if he really had no ill-will and if he did, he'd be struck down surely by Cassiopeia in all her prowess. He reached an outer wall of the cottage and slipped to the back door where the cauldron of water still sat. It was now cold and the plates remained unwashed, but he was in no condition to finish. he'd bare the brunt of any punishment later. He just wanted to hide. Ganondorf used the heavy cauldron as a step and hoisted himself onto the overhang on the back door and then onto the roof. From there, he slid into the window of his bedroom. It was dark and he didn't at all take the time to recall shapes or colors beyond dove moonlight. He simply took to where he knew his bed would be and enveloped himself in a cocoon of wool.


	2. Chapter 2: No More Sanctuary

Two points of light invaded the din of his bedroom, running from the wash of cold wind that followed shortly after. This wasn't Hyrule's pleasant caress come to rouse him for another taste of freedom. This was a foreboding rake that dragged jagged nails of tundra air along little points of exposed skin around the woolen blanket. His topaz eyes came ajar and glared sickeningly at the open window across the room. Ganondorf's bedroom wasn't necessarily a bedroom. It was a storage space in the attic that had been converted into a small living space for the voe. There were two windows, one in the front and back, framed by a pitched ceiling. The space was about two of voe's arm lengths wide and four long and he could only stand at full hight along the direct center of the pitch. In spite of the lack of actual room, Ganondorf liked to fill the space with random odds and ends that he fancied. bundles of thin, hand-woven, colorful fabrics hung from the ceiling and spread along the span of the room, finding center at a chain. A traditional Gerudo rug absorbed the shock of the cold, wooden floor and paintings ranging from beautiful to child-like coated the cream walls. They depicted horses, wolves, vai, and castles with farms and open fields.

The voe finally wriggled his way from under the heavy blanket and forced himself to cross the hold to the ladder on the far end. From beyond the trap door, the scent of burning pinewood and roasting meat helped his body shake the remaining weights of sleep in exchange for a longing growl in the pit of his stomach. Ganondorf opened the hatch and made his way down the ladder that came out in the dining room of the cottage. From the archway, he could see the figure of his mother and no one else standing at the counter with plumes of steam wafting through the open window in front of her. The voe crossed the space to her and he leaned down to plant a loving kiss on her cheek. Though she'd undoubtedly just woken up, she still looked beautiful. Her hair was woven into hundreds of magenta braids, accented with beads of jade and ornaments of gold and emerald. A headband of elegantly-carved gold with a large emerald at its center kept the hair from her face. Her make-up, freshly applied, was as flawlessly painted as always.

"Sav'otta, ba," he greeted, watching her sprinkle some freshly-ground salt onto a heap of venison. She smiled at him.

"Sav'otta, bi efesa. You forgot to finish cleaning last night." Ganondorf tried an apologetic smile.

"I heard something going on in the stable last night. I'm sorry."

"And what was happening?" She put the meat on a plate and moved to grab some eggs from the basket in front of her son. Ganondorf handed her a pair that she took and cracked into the pot, after which she took two more and added them as well.

"The horses were just acting up. They must've seen another garden snake. I really need to fix those holes today."

"Hmm... There are some apple trees in the orchard that haven't produced in a few seasons. You can uses those. You might need to sharpen the axe, though. Rasa was using it to try and hack up a stump a few days ago." Cassiopeia sighed and finished the first batch of eggs. She put two on a plate and cut some venison from the hunk to add to the meal which she shoved into Ganondorf's hands. "Breakfast first, though." The vai petted his cheek gently, the worn kindness in her smile so warm that he swore he could feel it.

* * *

Of all the places on his family's land, the orchard was, by far, his favorite. The land was all sloped as it wound around the dirt path between the hills. The trees kept to clean rows beside the road on each side and glinted with, lush, ruby-red fruits. Ganondorf carried the old axe down the slope and towards a particular section of trees he'd known had been problematic for years. They started out by simply producing less than the rest of the orchard, but had progressed to nothing at all for many seasons. He suspected that it was the soil, being so close to the cliffs and getting less water, but he wasn't as good with tree husbandry as Gagati was. She could probably give a definitive answer.

The voe stopped at the cluster of bare trees and set the tool on his shoulder. Her angled his hips to the first tree and raised the blade above his shoulder before taking a breath and swinging down at the trunk. It left a deep gash and shook the tree violently. He wrenched the blade out and raised it back again to take another swing. It collided similarly into the first slit and sliced about half-way through to the other side. He repeated the process one more time before pressing the sole of his boot to the trunk and pushing it over the rest of the way. The tree fell with a cacophony of rustling and a heavy thump. Ganondorf took the axe to the branches to thin out the log itself, tossing the excess parts aside before moving the log to the trail and going to the next tree in the bunch. He repeated this process for two more trees, assembling what must've been enough to fix the stable. The voe stabbed the axe into the ground and managed to hoist the logs onto his shoulders, two on his right, one on his left, before going to climb the trail. He could just see the edge of the house property from there and knew he could manage a moderate distance. Ganondorf was a large voe, looming over his mother and sisters considerably. He was told young that Gerudo was naturally a larger people in both muscle and height and he found truth in the statement by simply looking in a mirror. Being that this was Hyrule and the majority of the people were much smaller than his own, he wondered briefly how many things out in the world were scaled for his stature. It couldn't have been many outside of the desert.

"U-um... Hello?" One boot slipped and the voe teetered backwards, early dropping the logs in the dirt and falling atop of them. Two smaller hands planted themselves on his lower back above his rump and shoved forward to help steady him, though the opposing force didn't do much. Ganondorf righted himself and set down the logs before turning sharply to face his visitor. Familiar sapphire eyes looked up at him and they were joined by a pair of creature-brown. The Hylian from before was joined by a chocolate-pelted stallion who watched him with inquisitive tilts of his head. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you. I just- I was camping on the hill and heard the noise, so I thought someone was up here. I saw that it was you and I wanted to apologize for last night. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." He spoke so quickly that it took the Gerudo a moment to understand what was being said to him. He swallowed and took a cautious breath. His heart still needed to slow down. "I, um." He stuck out a hand. "Link... My name's Link. I should've introduced myself before."

Slowly, Ganondorf met the palm with his own which engulfed the entirety of it. "Nice... to meet you, but... You need to leave. You can't be here."

"I-I know. This is your land and I'm kinda invading right now. I mean, the border is kinda hard to find. I wasn't sure if this was just a wild orchard or something." He caught his breath and finally allowed himself to slow down. With composure returned to him, he spoke far more confidently. "Before I go, can I take a couple apples? I can pay you if you want, I just wanted something for my horse."

"Yeah. Go ahead. We have plenty. Just... quickly. Please."

The Hylian, Link, nodded and smiled. "Sarqso." With a gentle fluidity, the voe approached a nearby tree and swiped down one of the fruits. The stallion at his side perked his ears and instantly extended his snout to sniff the treat, something that made the voe pull the fruit away and give the creature a stern glare. "Uh! You wait." The stallion pulled back and averted his snout, watching his master with one eye but keeping his head away from the food obediently. Again, Link lowered his hand to a flat palm and then coaxed the horse to take it which he did happily. Strings of thick juice dripped from his lips as he greedily finished the treat and nickered. "Good boy." The hand that wasn't soiled with saliva and juice came around the pat the neck of the creature lovingly. Ganondorf observed the entire exchange with a wondrous facilitation. A single question crossed his mind and clung with a vice to the forefront of his priorities. Before he could think of any reason to do otherwise, his lips moved to voice it.

"What is Hyrule like?" Link looked up at him with a curious expression. "The people, the land... What is it like?" Something akin to pity mingled with other emotions on the voe's face as he tried to conjure some form of explanation that satisfied him. In spite of the hesitation, Ganondorf waited enraptured by the simple presence of the outsider, just as he'd been the night before minus the fear in the veil of night.

"It's nice," the Hylian finally spoke. "Most people are kind... civil. Towns and villages are peaceful. The wilds can be dangerous, but... it's beautiful. Have... you never really been anywhere but here? I know you said so last night, but I... didn't think you meant literally. Why are you stuck here?" The Gerudo blanched. Large, calloused hands clasped together to wring the flesh until it was hot with uncomfortable friction.

"My... My mother told me that... It isn't safe. Not for me."

"Not for you?" The Hylian laughed. "I'm sorry, but if I can make it our there, surely you can. You're twice my size, just about. Most beasts would think twice about even looking at you. Why wouldn't you be safe?" Something in his gut told him not to speak on the matter any farther. If his mother was right, then perhaps this Hylian didn't know what Ganondorf was entirely. Then again... if she was wrong... This Hylian, Link, seemed so kind. There was a gentleness in those beaming gems that he'd only seen matched by one other. How could those eyes lie? Did he have enough experience at all to judge, though? It was just a round-about cycle of pointless thought that kept him from realizing that he hadn't responded in any way until it was too late. "Uhh... You never told me your name." What **now**? Something else he couldn't answer? Could he even think of a fake name on the spot like this? The rattling in his head said no. Link didn't look like a magic-user of any kind. From what he heard, mages and the like wore jewels on their bodies that helped conduct certain magics and none of the like seemed to be anywhere on Link's body. His tunic was plane cream, his trousers were the same and his boots simple, worn-in leather. Her wore small, golden hoops on his ears that were void of gemstone incresting. The plainness of it actually brought out the blue in his eyes. He wasn't a mage, the Gerudo decided. He took a chance.

"Ganondorf." The larger voe didn't think those eyes could get any wider. Link stammered, mouth moving like a gasping carp washed ashore for many long minutes.

"Were you... named after someone?" The Hylian asked with a worried squeak in his tone. Ganondorf's pointed ears twitched forward.

"My mother says its a traditional Gerudo name. Said I'm the tenth or eleventh, so I guess I'm named after a great grandfather." Link stopped at that and took his time to ponder, it seemed. He scratched his head and watched his feet before looked back at the other voe. Every time those sapphire gems met his eyes he felt a deep shock in his chest. "Why do you ask?" Link blanched a little.

"It... sounded familiar. Anyway, I think it's time for me to go. I'm sure you need to get back to whatever you were doing." The Hylian reached up and took the reins of his stallion who's head perked from a patch of grass he'd been nibbling on. Ganondorf's heart leaped in a moment of panic and he was unable to control as his hand shot out and grabbed the smaller voe's right arm. Link nearly flew into the saddle from the start he'd been given, reeling from the shock with a wide-eyed glare. The Gerudo swallowed hard, trying to find his words again.

"Y-you said you were camping on the hill, right? The one we met on last night?" he blurted. Link nodded. "Can you meet me there tonight? I want to talk to you again when I have time." The smaller Hylian lowered his boot from the stirrup. His expression was distant for a moment as one hand gripped the saddle and the other idly ruffled his horse's mane.

"Okay. As long as you answer a few of my questions."

Ganondorf nodded. "That's fine."

"Good." The Hylian managed to get himself entirely into the saddle with a huff. He was stiff, though. His shoulders squared and risen drastically as opposed to his earlier posture. It made Ganondorf himself feel a little uneasy. Without even a sav'orq, Link turned the beast and bounded off down the orchard trail. It left an awful taste in his mouth, one of self-doubt and a new sense of paranoia. With these feelings momentarily left to fester in his stomach, the voe re-shouldered the logs and took them the rest of the way up the hill.

* * *

Supper that night was far more quiet than usual. Gagati and Levif chatted in their normal leisure and Rasa commented when she could, but Ganondorf merely sat and stared into the bowl of rice. The white grain was stained over by a soupy broth made with venison and various vegetables. It was one of his favorites with a scent that he most often found intoxicating; however, he realized his senses were beyond useable with his mind so thoroughly preoccupied. It took all he had to stop his hand from shaking as it held his utensil. He realized too late when a statement or question had been tossed his way as he looked up just in time to watch his mother put concern to words. "Is something wrong, bi efesa?" His gaze traced the table and saw similarly questioning stares pointed at him. He returned to his mother with the best attempt he could muster at keeping a level tone.

"The... Horses were acting kinda weird today. I'm worried something might be wrong with the foal." He hated lying to his mother, but if he'd said 'nothing' they'd call his bluff and had he told the truth there'd be hell to pay. Cassiopeia put her fork down and cocked her head, one large, golden hoop swaying from her ear.

"What do you mean? Is she sick or...?"

"She was tossing her head a lot, stamping, pacing. She seemed nervous for a while, but went back to being fine when I left."

"Hn. She should give birth any day now. Maybe her contractions have started. Check on her again after you eat and see if there's any movement in her stomach. She's a young mare, so it's probably her first foal. Maybe she doesn't quite understand what's going on."

"Ibel's had two," Levif commented, punctuating her words with a point of her fork. "You think she can help ease her into it? Think if she stays calm, Efesa will get the message that everything's okay?"

"It might, but she's still a new mother. It's scary. I've seen mares reject their foals before. Most have motherly instincts and get the idea pretty quick, but it happens." While they spoke, the voe made a point of practically shoveling down his meal, only stopping to look when his fork scraped the platter. This caught his mother's attention and she glared at him with parts amusement and other parts question. Without missing a beat, Ganondorf stood and took his plate.

"I'm gonna go see if she's okay. I'm probably gonna watch her for a while just in case. I wanna be there when it happens. Sav'orr." He didn't give them time to stop him. The plate was on the counter and he was out the door and towards the pasture in minutes. Of course, when he got there Efesa and Ibel were perfectly fine, standing in their stalls and watching him enter with what was surely confusion- Efesa more so when Ganondorf entered her stall and sat in the hay in the back corner. The mare stood and watched him with ears ever alert and nostrils flaring in and out. The expression said, clearly _"Why are you here?_" He knew Efesa didn't mind his presence as she wanted to be around him most of the time anyway, but late-night visits weren't too common, not unless something was the matter and her master needed a place to sit apart from people and think. The voe glanced up at her and met her emerald eyes with a sigh. "I really hope you have that foal soon. If you don't, I'm gonna look like an idiot." Her ears turned to face him fully as he spoke and relaxed back to the neutral position when he went silent. For a moment, she turned her head away to sniff her swollen belly and then turned back to him. "Yeah. That. Can't you just push it out already?" It was a joke but Efesa nickered back with a small flick of her ears. Ganondorf laughed. "Oh come on. How hard can it be?" The second, louder chatter from the mare was enough of a reply.

The voe set his head against a fresh plank with a sigh. Was he really going to go out there tonight? Link's attitude had changed so drastically and everything about it screamed a threat. Was the Hylian a mage after all, hiding a magic gem on his body rather than displaying it proudly? Were the plain clothes just a way to ease people like him into a false sense of security? A voe could lie, of course, and some even had a knack for it He himself had done it mere moments again and convincingly that morning as well. He himself had learned to get away with lies from a young age. _Don't show too much expression, don't add too much inflection, don't give overly wordy responses, explaining more makes it less believeable. _He knew the rules of tales well enough and his mother had inadvertently contributed to his ability. Among some books she'd collected over the years, one had been a published journal by someone who called themselves a "Mind-reader." The author gave herself said title as a joke as her journal was about her findings and how she learned to read people's physical tells to spot liars and help address social anxieties. She became so good at it, in fact, that she could use context, tone and expression to find out what people were thinking more often than not. Ganondorf had been vastly interested in the concept since he read the journal as a young teen, however his own practice in the craft of "mind-reading" hadn't gone well against his sisters. He could tell a lie well, but couldn't tell when others were lying worth his salt.

This made his meeting with Link a conundrum of sorts. The voe stood and slipped from Efesa's stall to peer out from the hinges of the stable door. A single lantern still sat lit in the window of the kitchen, meaning his mother might've been cleaning up. He sat down against the door and continued to watch the flickering light play shadows upon the nearby landscape. As time passed, it only became more and more obvious that he almost feared the light finally going out. He feared leaving the stable, crossing the pasture and traversing the length of the orchard path to his slit between the hills. He feared reaching that slope along the foothills and finding a hylian camp nestled in the rocks where a sapphire-eyed voe waited for the goddess only knew what reason. He said he had questions and, if that was true, would Ganondorf even divulge any truthful information? He decided in that moment that, if Link showed no ill-intent, he would be honest. Perhaps he'd ask more questions of his own. It shouldn't have been hard for a good person to be honest, right? Easy questions got easy, quick answers and no reason to hesitate to form a lie. Those would give way to more... weighted questions down the line. Maybe that was Link's plan as well? A flick in the corner of Ganondorf's day-dreaming eyes drew his attention back to the cottage. The lantern in the window was gone and no movement came from the home for a long time. With that passed, the voe had to assume that meant everyone was in bed and paying no mind to the stable. It was his best chance. He couldn't give himself time to hesitate.

Ganondorf managed to wriggle through the door without rattling the hinges and cross a good length of the pasture. He stopped nearly mid-way to glance at the cottage and confirm that nothing had changed. The curtains of his mother's bedroom were still drawn and he watched them partly from the corner of his vision as he crossed the rest of the field and hopped the fence to the orchard trail. The entire way down, the same, paranoid thoughts and ideas darted around his skull like fairies in a jar. It was almost enough to make him stumble once or twice before he saw the crest of the two hills. He wouldn't let himself stop for a single moment else he'd actually waste a moment in pause. Far quicker than he would've liked, Ganondorf was up and over the slope and looking down at the slope. Just feet from him, there was a campfire and a familiar figure resting next to it. A bay stallion nibbled the sparse grass at his side, untethered and obviously trusted. With a start, Ganondorf missed-placed a boot and slipped on a patch of gravel. Sapphire eyes shot over to him, illuminated brilliantly by the campfire. It made his stomach drop a little. With an awkward wave of his arms, he gave a half-grin.

"Vasaaq."

Link scoffed, his own grin natural and full of mirth. "Sav'saaba." Gradually, Ganondorf made his way down to the camp and settled himself on the opposite side of the fire. Link watched him the entire time, waiting until he'd sat down to speak once more. "So, I'd like to start with a question if you don't mind." When the larger voe nodded, he continued. "How old are you?"

"Just turned twenty last month."

"Hah. I got you by three months."

"Really? You look so young."

Link shrugged. "And you look older. I guess it's just the race difference... Anyway, you're twenty and you still believe that you need to stay trapped at that farm for your safety? I mean, you look..." He hesitated, trying to find the right word. "...In shape." Ganondorf thumbed an exposed bicep.

"My mother taught my sisters and I how to fight. I took up hand-to-hand and archery because she refused to train me with blades. One sister took up combat magic, one took up throwing knives and the rapier and one up a war hammer. I myself know some magic, but my mother encouraged me to rely on my physical strength over magic. I love magic, though. My mother's been a sorceress since she was a child and I've always been hypnotized by her spells." He realized he was prattling, but the Hylian didn't seem to mind. He listened intently until it was clear the Gerudo had no intention on elaborating more.

"So... You know how to fight. Do you have any survival skills?"

Ganondorf gave the other a lighthearted scowl. "Tsk. It's my turn. What are you doing out here?"

"Hn. I guess that's fair. I travel a lot. My parents died when I was little and I was raised by stable hands on the river. I used to help them move horses between stables at the owner's request and I loved seeing the land. When I got old enough, I got my own horse and struck out on my own. I do stuff like this all the time. Now, you answer **my** question."

The larger voe smiled, satisfied with the answer. "I have some. I can cook, make a fire and a few basic little things. Nothing extensive."

"So, you cam fight and have some basic survival skills. Tell me again why you think you wouldn't survive out here?"

"You have a hard time grasping the concept of taking turns, don't you?"

"Did you want that to be your question, or...?" Link teased.

"No. Do you know magic yourself?"

Link rubbed the back of his head. "Not a lot. I'm not really good at it. I know a minor healing spell and one that makes sparks come out of my fingers, but that's about it. The sparks hurt."

Ganondorf laughed and put up his own hands in demonstration. "If you're going to summon fire or electricity to your hands, you need to know at least a minor shielding spell. Electricity or flame close to the skin, especially that of a magical variety, is vary harsh." in that moment, a light, purple aura engulfed the Gerudo's finger rips. First, he snapped his right hand, summoning a candle's worth of flame. Next, he snapped his left and sparks of blue danced from one side of his hand to the other. Link watched in child-like wonder before the larger voe snapped both hands at once and vanquished the enchantments.

"Woah... You gotta show me how to do that! I want flaming hands!" He looked down at his own palms with a wide, excited grin which the Gerudo admonished with a snip of his tongue.

"It's not something I can just show you quickly. It takes a lot of work."

Link laid his hands in his lap. "Another time, then. Now, why do you think you wouldn't make it out here?" Ganondorf really hoped that the small demonstration would've made him forget, but unreasonable wishes were just that. The larger voe sighed, smile fading and stomach twisting in a tight knot.

"Ever since I was little, I've been told that I'm... rare or something and, because of that, I'd be seen as a trophy to monsters out in the wilds. I could hold my own against the occasional attack, but to be hunted... that's not something I think I'm prepared for." Link considered him calmly and without expression, seeming to want to take in each syllable with the clearest of attention. When he finished, he nodded and pursed his lips.

"Well, it's true that a... voe Gerudo is really rare, I don't think you'd be hunted more so than people would just be weird towards you. I don't think anyone would really try to hurt you on the regular... That is, as long as you stay out of the desert. The actual Gerudo tribe has banned men entirely. Voe, I mean."

"Why have they done that?" For the first time, Link clearly hesitated, face blanching and eyes twitching as he struggled to find the right words. The length of silence began to eat at Ganondorf's nerves. His muscles twitched and little voices in his head began to scream that something was clearly wrong. Was Link the reason they banned voe? Was that why he was so nervous to answer? He didn't look like someone who **could **cause trouble enough to make a village do that. All these questions went unasked as the Hylian soon found his words.

"Well... A Gerudo voe is born about once every one-hundred years and old Gerudo law stated that when a voe was born, he was destined to be their king. The last Gerudo king was... a wicked... evil sorcerer that waged war on the kingdom of Hyrule. He was stopped by the king of Hyrule and put to death. This is your people's history. Have you never learned about it?"

"No... I've never heard any of this before... Once every one-hundred years...?" The last part was more so to himself, tone writhe with disbelief. "The history of my people and she kept it from me... Why-" He was cut off by the sound of a sharp gasp breaking past the roar of the fire. His ear twitched to his left and his eyes caught a figure at the edge of his perception. The colors and shapes, though out of focus, built a very familiar creature. The sight of her sent his entire body into ridged, trembling waves. Cassiopeia's attention was on Link first, her emerald eyes glaring him down as though she intended on strangling the small voe.

"Who are you?" she demanded, finally reaching the camp. Link put up both his hands in a passive gesture against his chest.

"A traveler. I was just camping on the ridge."

"Leave."

"What?"

"I said **leave**!" The vai's voice crackled as she screamed. Ganondorf tried to steady his own tone, but found his body betraying him.

"Y-you can't make him l-leave! You don't own this side of the mountain!"

"I am **not **dealing with this right now. Go home!"

"Why?"

His mother had to do a double-take, realizing on a delay what he'd said. "You **know **why!"

"No, I don't! What I **do **know is that you've been keeping me trapped her for reasons that I now know hold absolutely no weight! I'm tired of this! The **girls** are tired of this! I'm not going to wait until you die to finally have some semblance of freedom!" He got to his feet, using his extra height over the vai as leverage. In spite of his own stature, however, he couldn't help but hold back a shake in his hands as she glared back with vengeance.

"You have no idea what you're asking for, vehvi. You can't go out there! That world, those people! Meeting them is a death wish! You have no **idea** what you are! I have kept you here because this was the only way for you to actually have a life!"

"What life? I'm stuck on a farm in the mountains where I meet no one, go nowhere and where you'd like me to be damned for eternity alone! This isn't a life! I can handle what's out there just fine!"

"No, you can't! I know you can't!" Her voice shattered against the night's silence and left but an air as thick as chowder. When she spoke again, both voe found themselves taken back by the sudden softness that escaped her strangled throat. "I know it doesn't seem fair. You can't help how you were born, but life isn't fair. This is the only way for you to survive. Going out there, being discovered, it'll get you killed."

"Why? Why does the world have a vendetta against **me **specifically? Is everyone like the people in the desert? Being unreasonable because of the actions of one voe and deciding we all need to die?" Cassiopeia's eyes darted to Link, a spark of panic and the beginnings of tears welling in her eyes.

"You told him..." The Hylian only stared. The vai looked back at her son. "Ganondorf, it's late... Please... Please, for the love of all that is just, go home and we can talk about this tomorrow." She was begging. She was desperate and unable to stop the wash of hot tears from streaking down her face. Ganondorf didn't budge, however. He glared back, unmoving... unfeeling save for the sweltering of his rage.

"I don't want to talk about it tomorrow. I don't want to spend one more night locked in that **damned** house in that tiny loft to wake up and do the same chores I've been doing for my entire life. I am not going to sit there and be the reason my family is condemned like they have a plague. If I go back there, it is to gather my things so I can **leave**. If I die out there by the hands of some crazy Hylian with a grudge, I'd happily do it if that meant I got to set foot off of this fucking rock. There is no way that I am going to let you keep me here forever." Cassiopeia only listened, face slowly hardening against the brunt of her son's irate ranting. She was soon blank, a void against his snarl of thoughtless indignation. It was almost startling if his mind would let him a reprieve to register it. "I am leaving tomorrow morning. If you care about me **at all**, you'll let me go." He expected a retort, a growl, a demand... **something**... but he got nothing... The vai silently and without any change in her steady expression turned heel and gradually made her way back up between the slopes. He stood and watched the last place he'd seen her for many moments... He knees buckled... he fell onto the ground next to the fire... He barely registered the wide-eyed stare sat across the blaze to his right... _Am I shaking? Yes, I think my knees are trembling... and my hands... I feel sick; am I going to throw up? I ate too fast, I was yelling too much, I... can't believe I did that... Where am I going to sleep tonight? On the slopes out here?_

"I'm sorry..." The voice was meek. It wasn't scared, but cautious... like he was speaking to a crying child. "I... have some extra blankets. I always keep spares. You're totally welcome to sleep out here with me."

"Sarqso." It was flat and distant, almost inaudible. Link bit his lower lip.

* * *

_I didn't know what else to say. I couldn't think at all with what had happened still buzzing around in recent event. He looked so broken, like something in his head had just snapped and disconnected him from everything and left his body to rot in the dirt. In a way, I guessed that he'd just lost his entire world. For a long time after that night, I blamed myself for the way things had happened. I mean, it seemed like me being there and saying what I did to him escalated the entire ordeal. With that guilt starting to bubble up inside me, I took a chance and slid my way across the pit to where he was sitting. I wanted to pat his back or express some form of encouragement, but it was like sitting next to a glass sculpture... Any little thing from a tap to a breath could've shattered him into millions of tiny particles that would blend with the dirt and gravel to be lost forever. I pushed that fear aside and opted for an in-between... something gentle. I flattened my palm and ran it from between his shoulder blades to his mid-back a couple of times. Though he looked breakable at that moment, the surface of his spine was like stone. He was so tense with pounds and pounds of densely-packed muscle all wound like a loaded spring. He didn't move away, though. As my fingers drew back, I saw that he was leaning into it if only for a moment before he caught himself and leaned forward on his knees again... away from me. I knew he didn't mean anything by it, but it stung._

_I clicked my tongue and called Rocco to my side. I managed to command him into a bow so I could take the pack with the extra supplies from him before I let him wander back to his patch of grass. The spare blanket was large enough, I was sure, and I carefully raised it over him and draped it along his shoulder-blades. He flinched when I came close this time, but accepted the blanket. "It's late... We need to get some sleep." I didn't think he'd get any rest that night. I knew he wouldn't. No one slept on their first night in the wilds, nor in their next. They finally slept out there when their body couldn't take it anymore. He wasn't ready for that transition... but he'd have to make it... and he'd suffer. As I laid down on my own cot that night, I wondered if there was someplace remote I could set out for at daybreak... a village... somewhere far more safe for him to try and rest his head... Plenty of places came to mind, but I recall I settled on bringing him to a stable first. They had beds for travelers and a roof, at the very least. It would make things more bearable. Maybe we could travel from stable to stable for a while. I didn't even realize that I was planning on taking this man with me and without forethought to his own feelings. In the end, it mattered little. He was in over his head and he was smart. Trusting me was his best bet. _

_I wasn't about to make him lose it. _


	3. Chapter 3: Words Unspoken

Daybreak came all too early, consuming the hills like a ravenous beast. He could feel the new warmth against his back, raking talons of fire along his entire length as though the creature were teasing its prey before swallowing it whole. He could scarcely remember the last time the dawn brought with it a wave of fear. He had to go back today... He had to gather what he could reasonably take with him, which included his horse. He knew he told Rasa he wouldn't bring a pregnant mare along, but he wasn't leaving without her. She was his. He found her, tamed her and cared for her more than any of them. She trusted him the most. At his back, Ganondorf could hear gentle breaths blending with the morning breeze. He remembered with a slight start that he wasn't alone on the slope. Squinting against the budding shine, Ganondorf rolled partially over and spotted a ruffled head of wheat-blond set on a folded spare tunic. Link was facing the other way and surely wouldn't stay out long with the sun shining right on his face. In spite of his exhausted and protesting muscles, the Gerudo sat up and started to re-roll the blanket and adjust his disheveled clothes.

"Ss...Sav'otta..." the smaller voe's voice rasped as he, too, righted himself. Ganondorf faked a smile.

"You don't need to keep using Gerudo. I speak both fluently."

"Hn... Just trying to relate." The hylian rubbed his eyes and stifled what looked to be a heavy yawn by the steep rise in his chest. The larger voe didn't respond to that. Rather, he continued to prepare himself in whatever idle way he thought he needed to- straightening his tunic, smoothing his slacks, picking rocks from his boots... Did he really need to look presentable for this? "So, what's the plan?" His attention was drawn back to the Hylian and he shrugged, bracing his palms against his knees. He didn't have a plan. He was up creek without a paddle and no sense of direction. "Do you need help?" He moved his lips to say no instinctively but stopped himself and considered the Hylian. This creature had survived in the wilds most of his life if the previous night's conversation was to be believed. He was an adventurer on the same rapids with a map and a spare oar. Ganondorf wondered how willing he was to extend a hand of grace to his obviously out-of-sorts companion. He wouldn't take advantage of the smaller voe, of course. He'd pitch in where he could... that was if the Hylian would have him. All of that was secondary, however. The first hurdle in their journey was the thousand-foot waterfall that was his mother.

"There are things I need to get from my house. Things I can't live without."

Link's pointed ears twitched. "So... you're really doing this, huh? You're committed?" The Gerudo nodded. "What all do you need to get?"

"A few small, sentimental things... A travel pack... Extra clothes... My horse." He rattled the items off almost mechanically. The more he thought about going up that hill, the more terrified he became. Link considered the list with a snow, thoughtful nod, staring off at nothing in particular.

"You said last night you were trained in archery. You have a bow and arrow?"

"I do, but the bow is old and won't last very long. I'll have to get a new one soon enough."

"That's fine. Getting some use out of it is better than not having one at all. You need blankets, too. Rope, small horse care tools like brushes and picks... Can you trust your horse not to wonder off?" His nod came quickly and with total conviction. "Well... I guess we need to get to it, then. I have somewhere to be and we need to get this show on the road pretty soon if I'm gonna be there on time." Link stood from his cot and began to roll up his own blanket and strap it to his horse's saddle with leather fastens affixed to the rear. Ganondorf watched him idly for a few minutes before a moment of clarity gave him room to register.

"You want me to come with you..." He wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement but the surprise was there all the same. Link turned to him with a warm smile and a nod just as sure as the one the larger voe had given moments before. He finished packing up his little camp and went to kick dirt over the smoking remains of the fire.

"No offense, but I know you need help. Just a little." It wasn't at all meant as an insult. The smaller voe's inflection remained steady and sweet. Everything about his demeanor from his voice to his movements was entirely and genuinely kind. At least that's how it seemed. A part of the Gerudo honestly wondered how deep that sugar ran through his veins as not even the kindest people in his life were without a hint of bitterness, but he put that thought off to simmer. Link wiped his hands on the back of his slacks and turned to look at the other with a sigh. "So... You ready?"

* * *

_He was trying to put on a brave face, but everything else on his massive body was giving him away. He was completely and utterly scared shitless. His clenched palms were rattling, his knees looked ready to buckle, his lower lip twitched... He was a mess held together with the barest of twine. I hadn't a clue what he'd been going through his entire life and I tried not to relate to his plight. My "family" had been entirely accepting of my want to venture on my own while his, surely, wasn't about to let him walk away... not if his mother's tirade the night before said anything at all. Still, I wanted to be sympathetic... comforting. On the walk up, I told him about how I felt when I first set off on my own and he seemed to relax a little bit. I guess knowing that being scared was natural helped ease the tension, though it wasn't enough. It could never be enough. We walked long, dirt path between apple tries side by side, him on my right and lagging understandably from what would've been his natural gate. Rocco idled behind us, stopping to glance at the fruit on the trees and even managing to snatch one particularly low-hanging treat in passing. I looked to Ganondorf to see if he minded and he gave no indication. No, why would he? He was planning to leave. This wasn't his responsibility anymore. _

_As soon as we saw the house come into view on that final stretch, I heard a horribly strangled breath hiss from his lips. He flexed his hands nervously and licked dry lips, looking like he was going to keel over any second. I halted just before the last hill and risked taking ahold of his right wrist. He stopped almost instantly and gave a strange twitch that told me he wasn't exactly happy with the contact. I retracted my hand and looked up at him, hoping I seemed concerned. "Do you need a minute?" He considered me and looked dazed, inner consciousness banished to some unknown void beyond our understanding. His golden eyes beamed off a little past my left year before he slowly shook his head. I was the one who had to start the trek again and he followed. He caught up to me entirely as he reached the front yard. I'd seen the farm from a distance when I was climbing the cliffs above, but seeing it up close gave me a warm, homely fuzz in my stomach. The cottage was a cream adobe with terracotta shingles running along pitched roof. The windows were clean and lined with dark mahogany to match the thick front door. Down a short, cobble path, I saw a pasture outlined with an aged fence and filled with lush grass and wildflowers. I could even see two horses as they trotted up to the gate. One was black with a ginger mane and one was grey and white dapple. Their coats were gleaming with the sheen of dew and their eyes were intent on us. I was taken back by them. They were the biggest horses I'd ever seen. I'd seen draft horses a plenty in my lifetime, but these were beyond that. It made sense as the Gerudo were larger people and needed larger horses, but I was still mesmerized. Poor Rocco looked like a miniature pony in comparison._

_I tore my gaze from the mares in the field as Ganon lead me around to the back of the house, which confused me. He set up a cauldron against the wall of the house and used it to get him onto the lower roof and then over to a window which he slid open and crawled through, vanishing into the home. I had trouble wrapping my head around him wanting to just come in and sneak out without seeing his family as I myself would've wanted to say good-bye to **someone**. Were they really that possessive? Did he see this as his only option? He returned minutes later with a blanket tucked under one arm and a moderately-sized pack strapped to his back. He dropped onto the ground next to me and then went back around to the pasture. The two mares were still standing at the gate and from the then closer proximity I was able to appreciate how absolutely massive they were... and how round one of them seemed. Ganondorf rubbed the muzzle of the dapple before taking a lead and hooking it to the bridle of the coal mare as he maneuvered her out of the pasture and the other obeyed when told to remain inside. Now out of the tall grass, I could tell that this mare was either very fat or very pregnant, something alarming in the situation. "Uh... Is it a good idea to bring... **her**?" I asked, looking the creature over. _

_He didn't turn to me and ran a large palm up her snout. "She's my horse. I'm not going anywhere without her." He sounded intent and the look in that mare's emerald eyes seemed equally as determined. It was almost like she knew what was happening and was silently pledging herself to her master. She bore the air of a castle war horse. We'd seen many of them at the stable where I grew up and they all had that same, fearless glare that that mare aimed at him. It was like she was swearing her loyalty and service all by giving but a single look. Ganon lead the mare back towards the trail, passing the cottage and I looked at the building as I, too, walked by. It felt wrong... just a little... He really was going to leave without saying a word to **anyone**. I expected someone, anyone- his mother, perhaps- to exit at the last minute and stop us with some sort of send off... but it didn't happen. The home remained quiet and entirely still as we trailed by and soon left it far behind out of sight. We passed the orchard and the path leading to the hills... walking slowly and silently against the growing gale rushing from the other side of the cliffs. It was calling, beckoning with a siren song and I wanted so much to relish the feeling... but I didn't want to risk even a smile when my companion looked so frail... in spite of his strong, able body and determined, yet twitching, face... he was like glass... poorly tempered glass._

* * *

In all the fantasies he'd once romanticized in quiet moments, he envisioned himself sprinting into the open with a broad smile. That urge was nonexistent. In its stead, he felt something horrific, a creeping sensation for which he had no name. It was almost like something hungry was worming its way up his body under the skin, gnawing nerves with corrosive venom. It was regret, hesitation and panic all at once- doubt in all its glory. Toxic thoughts all collided in that single moment... Thoughts of abandonment and seclusion... Thoughts only momentarily halted when Link gave Ganon's bicep a cautious tap with the back of his hand. The look that those sapphire eyes exchanged with his was that of someone trying to coax an animal along- a skittish dog, perhaps. With it, Ganondorf cautioned the first, real step past the enveloping fingers of the hills. It was grass... Just grass... simple grass the same as all the other grass he'd ever known. It wasn't going to hurt him. He took another step. A sea of emerald swayed and bushed over his lower legs, sweet caresses of encouragement... Another step.

Then it hit him.

A swift, cool wave of questing fingers swept over his back and through the short tufts of his hair. It vaulted over him and then danced along the span of the field that lay boundless before him, beckoning him to chase it. It was a playful spirit, an old, lonely friend finally getting the chance to know him in ways it had so longed to... waiting for this exact moment. Topaz eyes widened, tunnel-vision drifting off like dust to finally show him the greater scene. It was not just grass, not just soil, not just land like all other land he'd ever walked on... It was freedom. It was the wilds. All hesitation was lost to the voe in the time it took for a grin to spread from ear to ear. All Link could catch was a blur as the shape that had once been the Gerudo at his side bolted off and followed the seductive call of the wind. The sight brought even his own face into a twist of utter joy. Efesa could not gallop gleefully after her master, but allowed herself a trot in his direction. Her emerald eyes did not even dare to waver from his figure and her gentle, calm gate didn't even stumble when her master found himself startled by a flock of birds and tumbling back into a soft patch of lush vegetation.

At it, the Hylian laughed. He, too, took off and soon met Ganondorf's side, tossing himself into the dirt next to him with a grunt and a chuckle. When he looked to his larger companion, he found those golden eyes ever-fixed on the sky and large, white teeth still glowing through his smile. Words would taint it... breaths felt like they were poisoning the very seconds... Anything but the songs of the land was unwelcome. Birds and bugs flittered over their heads across the plane as they rode the very wind through azure skies. The smaller voe knew the sights and saw the wilds like a mother... He wished he could feel what the other must've been feeling. What a elation it must've been, how his heart must've been beating uncaged... His lungs taking in new air for the first time in his entire life... How sweet it must've tasted.

It was then an urge that yanked Link to his feet. It was a desire like not other that drove his hands to dive in and take Ganondorf's wrists, even if the contact was previously unwelcome. It was a new excitement that helped him get the other to his own feet and pull him towards one side of the field just beyond the hills. Only then did words cut the natural noise. "What- What are you doing?" The Gerudo asked with a slight uncomfortable tinge to his words. Link's smile and pure tone, in contrast, was unwavering.

"I want to show you one of the best parts of Hyrule. At least, it's one of my favorites."

"Oh?" As Link practically dragged him along, the horses trotted behind them and even stopped and stooped for some grass as soon as the two voe slowed atop a gentle slope. It was there that Link pointed out towards a shape in the near distance, something with the look of stone and artificiality. "That... Is your favorite part of Hyrule?"

"Well, not _that _specifically, but things like it. I'll explain it when we get over there. Come on! I promise, it's cool." This time, the Hylian trusted Ganondorf to follow on his own, a privilege that was greatly appreciated as it made following the smaller voe's excited sprint much more tolerable without feat of stepping on his small heels. They made it to the structure and the stone remnants of a tower were also coupled with what looked to be the collapsing and nearly reclaimed remains of a farm. The stone monolith was like a sore thumb among the field, unlike what the farm must've been. A lovely place to settle, Ganondorf decided, and he even wondered why operational farms weren't scattered all over the planes. Link squeezed between a collapsed fence post and trotted top the center of the circular pasture, arms bread out as he spun around demonstratively. "Places like this are all over Hyrule! The Kingdom used to be huge and full of farms, cities and temples that have been lost to disasters and time. Sometimes, you can find their remains if you look hard enough," he called excitedly across the way. Ganondorf was still outside the fence. "I love finding places like these because I get to wonder and make guesses about what used to be here. This one is just a little farm, but it's part of something bigger! It's like living history. _That's _my favorite part of Hyrule. That's what I love to do when I go out on my own like this. I find these areas, write about them and try to figure out what they used to be. It's a pretty good excuse to travel, too. If people ask, I'm just mapping ruins or studying old architecture. Makes me sound smart, I guess."

Ganon laughed at that. It was a kind sort of noise, appreciative even. He finally broke the barrier and walked to meet the smaller voe. "You certainly are passionate about it. I see the appeal."

"You have to come see some of the places I've found over the years!" he exclaimed, sapphire eyes wider than the larger had ever seen them. "I can show you Hyrule, teach you how to survive along the way. It'll be great!" In his mind, Ganondorf marveled at how the recently soft-spoken and reserved adult Hylian he'd met had melted away to a giddy child, but damn him if the enthusiasm wasn't contagious... and if the idea of exploring ancient Hylian history in-person wasn't incredibly alluring. Books couldn't have possibly served it any justice.

"Well, I _do_ have some monuments that I've always wanted to see with my own eyes..." He feigned hesitance in a mock, a smile and side-glanced eyes measuring how much more "persuasive" the other voe could be. The answer was "much more."

"Oh! I know just the place the start! It's not too dangerous and doesn't see a lot of people. Perfect for your first spot. Do okay to do a little climbing?"

"Climbing? Sure, I can climb, I suppose." With that, Link's smile grew once more and he turned to lead Ganondorf to whatever place he'd so eagerly wanted to show him.

* * *

Rasa stared out of the window, keeping quiet and out of sight as her mother had instructed. The way her chest ached when her brother came and left without even an attempt to say sav'orq or talk to her was indescribable. She almost cried. She almost burst out the front door, chased him down and beat her fists against his back until her arms couldn't take it anymore. What happened to their plan? Did he really lie to her? Was he joking and playing into her gullible nature bred from desperation? She knew him a fan of jokes, but if this was one it was his cruelest yet. She turned to see her mother sat at the dining table with a blank expression on her face, her hands braced gently against her elegantly set knees. Her face was without adornment and her hair, usually pulled into a number of intricate styles, was only tied back in a loose ponytail. She wore but a simple bedrobe. Rasa hardly recognized her and her sisters refused to even come out and rest their eyes upon the older vai.

"Ba..." Cassiopeia's youngest daughter found her mother's side and rested a gentle hand on her wrist. "What happened? Why are you letting him leave? Why now?" She wasn't opposed to it- not entirely- but it didn't make any sense. All that fighting for a good portion of a lifetime was now being left in vein.

Cassiopeia had been silent until that point, but now found her raspy, sorrow-laden words. "Because I should've known better." Rasa crouched down before the vai.

"What do you mean?"

"Rasa, bi vehvi... There is something you don't know about your brother..."

* * *

_I re-wrote this chapter **three times**._ I still don't think the impact is good enough, but I'm tired of re-writing it and it's been too long since an update.

_Anyway..._

_There is a lot of made-up Gerudo language here. _

_I use the official stuff I find on the wiki as a base, of course. _

_Here are a couple of translations:_

_"Bi" - "My"_

_"Ba"- "Mother" (based on the canon Gerudo word for "grandmother" which is "Vaba.")_

_"Ro" - "speak"_

_"Geldo" - "Gerudo" _


	4. Chapter 4: The Great Plateau

_AN~ I know these chapters are slow-coming and I apologize if that bothers you. I just want to take my time and create an at least average experience. _

* * *

His arms, usually quite sturdy, had finally begun to quiver from the stress of this newer activity. Yes, Ganon had done a fair bit of climbing, but never on a completely vertical incline. Golden eyes looked up at the smaller voe who had managed to distance himself considerably from the larger- unintentionally- and brought the Gerudo to huff. He didn't dare glance down past his own chest. "I thought... you said... This was a good... Beginner spot." His words hitched as he managed to hop up and take hold of an ornate, stone ledge. Link locked his foot in a hold and held on with one hand as he swung out to look at his companion.

"It is. Getting there is kinda tricky, though, unless you want to take the long way around."

"Does the long way involve-" His boot slipped as a hold collapsed, but he didn't fall, "-Climbing sheer cliffs?"

"Not like this one. I don't want to go the long way, though. Not a fan of leaving my horse down there for days. Besides, going down is a lot easier than going up. I promise." The Gerudo gripped a slightly larger ledge with both hands and let out an irritable grumble. He brought one leg up and managed to twist himself up and almost meet the sole of Link's boot in an attempt to close the distance.

"It better be." Reaching the top took far longer than he would've liked. His fingers burned and arms twitched uncontrollably, so much so that he could only barely register as something gently grazed the knuckle of his right hand. It was a wind-driven caress of ivy that clung firmly to the stole wall. Ganondorf's eyes had hardly left the span before him, keeping himself grounded and focused on the task to the extent that he hadn't allowed himself to gauge his space from the end. Upon finally looking up, he found Link knelt just over the ledge, far enough to Ganon's right to give him space to pull himself onto the plateau, which he did with visible effort... And even after, he collapsed in the grass and gravel, a collapse far more forceful than the visual might've alluded. It was a plummet from the inside out... He almost felt sick. His stomach sunk, his muscles went entirely limp in a way he recognized... it was years ago, but he remembered.

"You alright?" Link shuffled over to the Gerudo lain flat on his back. Ganon nodded.

"Yeah... I just need a minute..."

"Alright. It's not a far walk." The Hylian settled himself next to the larger voe's shoulder and risked glancing over the ledge. Ganon didn't want to. Not yet. Not that he could, of course. Everything in him was jelly and coming down off a high of exertion and adrenaline. He hadn't crashed that hard since he was a teenager... When he thought being allowed to ride a horse on his own was freedom...

* * *

_Through the strands of pasture grass and her own scruffy mane, she looked at him, watched him intently with icy eyes. Her dappled shoulders twitched and her tail flicked. One rear hoof picked up and stomped into the soft soil laden with rye and dots of cream and lavender. He laid almost flat upon his stomach, messy mop of crimson far too vivid for him to hide, but pretending to stalk was part of the fun. He skirted closer to the mare like a wild cat and, like said cat, his pointed ears twitched, his nose took deep breaths of the sweet dew and pulled foliage... and dirt. He could smell her, too. She was pungent like barn animals tended to be. Once at her right side, he stood. He pressed a hand to her belly and ran it along her spotted coat. She continued to watch. She was stiff. She was ready to bolt. **He **was ready to go._

_He traced his hand back across her spine and then swiftly grasped a bundle of mane. The second she felt it, she kicked up in a sort of bounce and he followed her momentum. He jumped with her and managed to straddle her great shoulders and twist his other hand in alongside his first. She wasn't having any of it. In spite of her heavy feet, she was light and quickly found her stride to buck and throw her neck back at him. His practiced grip and posture kept him just one step ahead of her. She had a routine, one she thought always worked, one that wasn't working. It was past the threshold of the known and on to tactics she'd kept dormant. She twisted herself into a spin and he leaned into it on instinct, kept his arms firm. She did it again, this time accenting the end of her cycle with a rear buck. He continued to hold firm and slid himself into her kick as he had with her more straight forward attempt moments earlier. She tried again and again and still achieved nothing. _

_"I got you this time!" he teased, intentionally irritating her with a tap of his heels to her ribs. In retaliation, she abandoned the bucks and tore across the pasture with great strides and a thunderous pounding. She sprinted from the barn to the fence and then skirted along the barrier. "You're a slow old mare!" She picked up again. She added a jump and landed back into her stride, taking to the land and the grass with abandon. She pushed herself, faster and faster, then he saw it. It was too fast, her strides to wide. She was going for the fence and he knew that **she **knew she could make it. He instantly pulled back. He tugged on her main like reins, pressed his knees into her shoulders. "Woah! Woah! No!" He hollered, but it did nothing. Ibel's hooves slid a small way before she lifted herself up and over. She landed hard on the other side and took back to her long, angry sprint. She sprinted past the house, past the storage shed. She took to a trail along the back yard, one that dipped down and wound about a hill. The young voe looked along the sides for someplace to go, to jump off and maybe it would calm her, but all he saw was hard gravel and water. The river ran alongside the trail and, in some places, was so shallow that diving in would certainly do damage. _

_The voe tried again to pull on Ibel's mane, to press into her and soothe her with a poorly masked voice of panic, but she didn't listen. She never listened- Not to him. He saw the bank approaching fast, saw the deeper gathering of the river gaining and could do nothing. Without preamble, Ibel leaped from the gravel and dove hooves first, rider and all. Ganon released his vice on her mane and kicked off her back to the surface. He broke the water with a gasp and an angry slap as the mare came up beside him. "Oork'a rotta!" he spat and pushed himself spitefully against her side towards the bank. He found the marks where she'd skidded to jump and he kicked the gravel over them. He continued to mumble a string of curses after her as she followed him. She climbed up the bank and pushed past him. She made her way calmly and- he knew- smugly back up the trail. "You hear me?" He teased again. "Rotta!" With that, Ganon slumped into the dirt and about one inch of water. He sighed. _

_"I had her... I **had **her!" His fist hit the stream and dotted his face with more water. "Buh..." He lowered his eyes to his bare toes just below the line... watched as small twitches distorted them through rings upon rings.. little waves. He was lucky he'd chosen a hot day. Ganon felt a snort of hot breath displace some of his hair and reached around to swat. "Rotta! Away. Go home." Another snort and it was followed by a snap of furry lips against his skull. The voe swung around, hand lifting to shove a palm against Ibel's snout... said hand froze... Topaz eyes stared. Emerald eyes stared back._

* * *

The voe came back to himself. His fingers dug in the gravel and sparse vegetation and his muscles returned to working order, albeit not to their fullest. He sat himself upright and looked to the Hylian with a soft, almost labored smile. "So... Where to?" At that, Link returned the smile- though more unlabored- and stood from his crouched position. He pointed over at a spire just visible over a collection of natural stones. It was pale and clearly smooth. "What is it?"

"You'll see. Come on." It was difficult to get to his feet, but he managed and took after Link as he strode over the distance. Once around the larger obstructions, the Gerudo made out other details to the structure such as long walks of stairs and pillars both collapsed and still defiantly standing in spite of their obvious age. Many roads and small trails over which they crossed seemed to converge upon the main cobblestone walk which wound directly to the first set of ornate stairs. Upon their base, Ganondorf was able to admire the magnitude of the structure. He noted a sense of familiarity, perhaps seeing it in a book, but if it had a name, said information escaped him. Link brought the larger voe over the many, winding sets of stairs and landings. Each held a very resilient grace in its craftsmanship. They finally found themselves before the structure itself and in an archway that curved up and then met at a point where two great doors might've once stood. Much of the roof had collapsed and the floor had rotted away, leaving room for grass and other foliage to reclaim. Parts of walls had collapsed and fallen away, as well.

However, the space was obviously place of worship. Upon a platform still standing at the end of the main chamber was a statue surrounded by many smaller ones. It was obviously eroded and missing many of the fine details it once possessed, but what remained stayed true to all the illustrations. It was a statue of the Hylian Goddess, Hylia; she who her people and their land were named for. "Strange..." The larger voe couldn't help but comment. "Your people still greatly respect this Goddess, yet a temple built for her has been left to rot." To his words, there was no reply. He turned to look at the Hylian and found his blank face gazing up at the visage before them. His lips were a tight line. "Oh... I... I didn't mean..."

"Oh!" Link shook himself as though he'd been dreaming. "No. No, no. I was just... No, you're right. It shouldn't be like this, but..." He took a deep breath. "You know, places like this aren't just abandoned- not without a good reason." There was a cautious tail to his words that Ganon couldn't quite understand. He left it without prompt out of curiosity. Surely enough, the smaller voe did continue. "At least... That's what I think. There are lots of shrines and little worship sites all over Hyrule. They rebuilt the castle and the town and made a new temple there, but they left this one the way it is." Ganon's left ear, the one under which Link stood, twitched.

"Rebuilt..? What happened to the castle?" He thought he heard the other swallow.

"You really did miss out on a lot. There was a... war. It was a long time ago."

"What was the war for?"

"I... Well... It's not reliably recorded. All we really know is that... a lot of people died and... a lot of places like this were left... well... **Like this**." Link swept a gesture over the entirety of the temple. The larger voe's brow furrowed only for a moment.

"I can see why this interests you, then. No one knows the real story, but these _places_ do. Makes me wonder if I had known more, I would've liked History as a child." Link scoffed and turned to face him.

"You don't like history?"

"Not previously. My mom brought me so many books, lectured me on diplomacy and wars that were avoided thanks to some old guys sitting in a room and talking out their differences... Compared to magic, combat and farming, History was just... You know..."

"Ha. Sad day when farming is more interesting to learn than history." After that, Link tilted his head, allowing Ganon to spot a set of hoops attached to his right ear. They dangled closely together and created a barely audible, metallic tap when they collided. Then the Hylian moved towards the platform. He approached with a calm, respectful gate, completed with a downturned gaze and firmly clasped hands. Ganon hadn't a mind to join him, but one to keep his distance and silence as Link lowered himself onto one knee and bowed. The gesture was short. He stood but a moment later and turned back to his larger companion with a wide smile. "Do you know anything about the Goddess of the Sand?" To that, the larger voe nodded.

"Yes. My mother was very adamant that we paid our respects to her."

"So you weren't totally kept from your own culture."

"No. My mother had shelves full of books on the Sand Goddess and all the mythos and pageantry around her. One of my favorite things as a kid was having a little 'festival' of rebirth in our home every year. My mother and sisters would bake dozens of traditional foods and I'd put up lanterns and little paper crafts all to celebrate the Goddess and how she helped keep our people thriving." He smiled warmly at the recollection, even giving a gentle chuckle. "After I grew up a bit, it started to lose its luster for a lot of reasons, but..." Link watched the smile fade subtly. In response, the smaller voe compensated with his own and patted Ganon's slightly hunched shoulder.

"When I was little," the Hylian began, "I used to love when the royal family arranged parades. Since our stable was close to the castle, they'd come to us for horses and we'd get to braid their hair with flowers and ribbons. After we were done, we'd get a group of people together and lead the parade horses to the castle gates to be taken in. It was like having our own parade and people in the town would all come out to see the horses. Kids would have apples and carrots ready to feed them and we'd even let some of them ride with us to the gate. It was like a holiday for me." His small smile became a full grin. "I was kinda like a celebrity after a while." Ganondorf allowed the soft contact as his own smile slowly reformed upon his expression.

"I suppose that makes you better with people than I could ever be. Given the circumstances, what should I expect from anyone we meet out here?"

"I..." The Hylian bit one of his knuckles in thought. "Hmm. I actually don't know. I'm not sure how anyone would react to a Gerudo man. It's been so long since any of us have seen one. The best I can give you is to expect staring. Lots of it. If you don't like the idea of that just yet, we could always get you a cloak." The suggestion seemed earnest, but in spite of its sincerity, the larger voe found himself stifling a laugh. He imagined that a simple cloak wouldn't do much in the way of disguising him when needed, but he also couldn't see covering his entire body in clothing as a viable option, either, seeing as a large voe strutting around Hyrule entirely wrapped in various cloths would also draw suspicion (or, at the very least, curiosity). He glanced over to the blond who's head was tilted almost humorously in confusion as he was, indeed, being serious - as Ganondorf understood. Still, the Gerudo's reaction might've indicated some sort of misunderstanding. Ganon cleared his throat.

"I imagine keeping me disguised might be difficult if it ever comes to that." The Hylian's knowing and very mischievous glint almost took the larger voe back.

"I was just suggesting the comfortable option. You always _could _just... you know... make yourself look like the _other _Gerudo." The implication very nearly slipped passed Ganon, but when he caught it his face scrunched in a reflexive expression of disgust. His response was nearly hissed through clenched teeth.

"How _dare _you?" Had the tone not been intentionally softened, the Gerudo's very real offense might've stung. As it was, however, Link saw fit to break into a fit of mirth and one that didn't stop for a good few moments. All Ganon could do was glare over his horribly raised nostrils and squinted eyelids.

"It's an option, isn't it?" the smaller asked over a little snort. To that, the Gerudo snarled, arms crossed indignantly.

"No. No it's not. I don't care if my life is on the line. I am not doing that." Link shrugged and managed to halt his chortling to turn back towards the massive, empty archway.

"Come on."

"Where to, now?" Ganondorf turned and kept at the Hylian's heel as they emerged onto the sumptuous companionway.

"I'll think of something on the way back down." The larger voe chuckled. He went to follow Link down the rest of the winding slope as a gust of Hyrule's nourishing wind swept through the gaping maws of damage and long-dormant frames. It curled about pillars and seemed to swell at the altar before funneling through the archway. It swept up Ganon's short head of hair as it so many times before, yet... there was something new riding the wind. It felt... heavier. On a back glance, Ganondorf's eyes caught the stone orbs of Hylia's worn likeness and he shivered.

* * *

_Darkened wet stone consumed the surrounding air in a cold, damp presence, the kind of sensation that kept one's skin in a constant state of unease. The shadow chilled the draft and the water created said draft. It left the stone to amplify any and all sounds that stirred within. One of said sounds was footsteps, light and almost delicate, yet panicked with a poor attempt at composure for the sake of appearances. It drew attention in the silence. One of the few within the chambered turned to the intruder with a scowl hidden beneath worn, red cloth. "What are you flailing about, child?" came his raspy, irritated voice. The one who entered stopped at the bottom step and straightened himself. When he replied, he stumbled some, stumbled in a way that was not entirely bred of franticness but more so out of a natural issue previously possessed. _

_"N-news from c-central Hyr-rule, Ma-aster." The elder of the two gave a dismissive wave about his shoulder. _

_"What of **news **boy? Has there been attacks on our own, missing caravans on the roads, holy sites desecrated by those... **sand rats**?" _

_"No, Ma-" _

_"Then there is no news. Whatever the Hylians do in their hodgepodge hole is no concern of ours. Back to your prayers, child." _

_"Thi-is is diff-ferent, Master. Differ-rent and importan-nt." _

_The elder huffed once more and finally tore himself from the book on his desk to humor the younger. "Fine, then. Out with it, boy. And watch your twisting tongue!" The boy straightened again and swallowed. He spoke far more slowly this time, affording each word the gentleness one would afford an infant. _

_"Hyrule field, Master... They spotted a Gerudo... A man." _

_"A man?" The elder stood and swiftly crossed the large chamber to meet the eyes of the younger in an angry challenge, practically daring with but a look alone for the boy to say it again. "What do you mean a man? There are no Gerudo men! Never again! We've been assured! No more of these conspiracies and women with short cuts being reported left and right! I am tired of you and yours constantly spreading panic with it!"_

_"N-not a conspira-acy, mas-ster!" The stutters came back with a vengeance. "Confirmed! By Ba-atan!" At that, the elder reeled, stepping some paces backwards. His eyes drifted about and looked upon stone walls as though the entire world had all of a sudden become unfamiliar. _

_"Batan..." _

_"Yes." _

_With a single hand that swept from the elder's side to the air around him, he wordlessly sent the boy away, an order quickly obeyed with only one small slip up the stairs. Once the chamber had been vacated by all save for himself, the Elder crossed back to his tome and removed an orb. He lifted said orb into his right palm, settling it some with a few gentle motions before the orb began to radiate and lift up only minutely from where it had been rested. Swirling aura within the glassy surface of the orb contorted like swarms of wisps before taking the shape and color of a face... a woman. Her eyes were like emeralds and hair like a dahlia against her sun-kissed skin. Pounds of gold and jewels weighed upon her strong figure as she stared back curiously from her throne._

_"Is something the matter?" She asked almost too innocently. _

_With a scowl that could not have been more venomous, the elder spat his reply. "We need to talk." _


End file.
